Basket



juiy 30, 19356 c. I. SHELTON BASKET Filed Oct. 2, 1934 Patented July 30, 1935 [,UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- 71. BASKET Cyrus I. Shelton, Perry, Ga.

Application October 2,

3 Claims.

'The invention has relation to veneer baskets, such as are used mainly in packing berries, in pint and quart sizes.

At present these baskets are made of blanks with flared end portions, being composed of two strips of veneer crossing each other to form a double bottom and. having the end portions thereof upwardly bent to form the basket sides,

and a top band to hold the basket in form, the inner of these strips being in part slidable relative to the other strip, and the double bottom having a staple connection to prevent slidable movement of the inner strip, the flared end por tions of the blanks forming the basket sides serving to bring the edge portions of the sides closer together at the corners, but not closing such corners, so that small berries may escape from the baskets.- In cutting the blanks for these veneer strips, there is a certain waste due to the flared end portions aforesaid. When the baskets are crated after being filled with the berries, it is necessary to use a divider between layers or tiers of baskets, said divider being provided with longitudinal sticks along the bottom thereof and of sufiicient thickness to raise an upper layer of baskets from the layer immediatel'y -below the same sufficiently to avoid crushing the berries of the baskets of the lower layer.

An object of the invention is to provide means for closing the corners of the baskets and for preventing slidable movement of the inner veneer strip insertible in position after completion of the baskets and at the place where the baskets are to be filled with the berries and crated, thereby admitting of shipment of the baskets from the factory closely nested in the usual way with the corner closing means packed in the uppermost basket of each stack. Another object is to adapt the corner closers to form divider supports, thereby admitting of a divider which is substantially flat, of less weight, of the usual length, and more cheaply made. 'Another object is to make the baskets of veneer strips the blanks for which are of rectangular form with parallel edges, thereby avoiding the waste that is necessary in making blanks with flared end portions. Other objects and advantages will hereinafter appear.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts as hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawing illustrating embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a basket provided with the corner closing means and made of blanks which are of 1934, Serial No. 746,579

rectangular form, with parallel edges; Figure 2 is a similar view of a basket provided with the corner closing means and made of blanks having flared end portions; Figure 3 isa similar View of a basket, wherein the corner closers are adapted to form divider supports; Figure 4 is a detail fragmentary section on the line 44, Figure 1; Figure 5 is a side view of a portion of a crate of baskets provided with corner closers adapted to form divider supports, showing a substantially flat divider; Figure 6 is a plan View of the blanks having flared end portions for making a basket and showing the waste; Figure '7 is a similar view wherein the blanks are of rectangu-,

double bottom for the basket, a top band 2 be ing provided to hold the basket in form.

The corner closers 3, may be, of stiff paper ,or

other suitable material, which is duite thin and lies closely against the corner portions of the basket within the same, and is secured in place by means of a fastening device 4, one for each corner closer and which is usually of pliable metal, provided with a flat pliable head 5, which is bent centrally thereof to form an angular head the branches of which engage the angular branches of a corner closer, said device having flat pliable prongs 6 loosely engaging a slit 6' of the corner closer and being bent outwardly away from each other to engage the approximated edge portions of the sides of the basket adjacent the corner thereof. The four fastening devices for each basket effectually prevent slidable movement of the inner veneer strip relative to the other strip and also hold the corner closers in place. Due to the extended engagement of the angular flat head and of the flat prongs of the fastening device 4 with a corner closer and with the sides of the basket adjacent a corner, only one fastening device 4 is required to be used with each corner closer.

Some of the manufacturers are trying out the planet having the sides of the basket at the corners extend above the top band of the basket to form a divider support, but this is expensive as well as much in the Way.

As shown in Figures 3 and 5 of the drawing,

these corner closer strips are angular and have each an angular extension at I in the same planes as those wherein the strip is located and projecting above the top band of the basket to form a divider support, which is badly needed as the present dividers are not satisfactory. A substantially flat divider is shown at 8, Fig. 5.

The angular extensions T of the endmost baskets assembled in layers in a crate extend inwardly of the ends of the crate to thereby form an eflicient support for the ends of the usual length dividers 8, 'even though the latter be accidently displaced endwise, so that the divider may not be moved downwardly at either end into contact with fruit in a lower basket. The angular nature of the corner strips tends to stiffen the same, which is important in view of the nature of the material of which they are composed and the load borne thereby.

By the use of this invention, the saving of waste in cutting the blanks for the basket and the elimination of the stapling connection of the doublev bottom will nearly pay the cost of the corner closing means, the strips of which are adapted to be readily inserted in placewithin the basket corners and to be readily secured in positionby the use of a single fastening device for each corner closer strip with unskilled labor in a short space of time. I

In the use of the fastening devices in securing the corner closers and divider supports in the baskets, there is tendency to center the inner of the two strips of veneer' wh'ich is in part slidable relative to the other strip, so that the completed basket will not be lop sided, aswould be the tend ency were a tight fastening device or staple used, this centering being due to the fact that the fastening devices loosely engage the slits 6 of the corner closers due either to the yieldable nature of the corner closer material used or to size of the slits, so that after one corner closer is secured in position by a fastening device, it will be capable of yielding as the other fastening devices are used with the other corner closers suiiiciently for the purpose stated.

I claim: I 1.In a veneer basket, composed of two strips of veneer crossing each other to form a double bottom and having the end portions thereof upwardly bent to form the basket sides, and a top band to hold the basket in form; means for closing the corners of the basket and for supporting a horizontal divider between layers of baskets in a crate comprising angular corner strips located within the corners of the basket and having upper angular extensions located within the same planes as those wherein said strips are located and projecting above the top of the basket.

2. In a veneer basket, composed of two strips of veneer crossing each other to form a double bottom and having the end portions thereof upwardly bent to form the basket sides, and a top band tohold the basket in form, the inner of said strips being in part slidable relative to the other strip; means for closing the corners of the basket and for supporting a horizontal divider between layers of baskets in a crate and for preventing slidable movement of said inner strip, comprising angular corner strips located within the corners of the basket and having upper angular extensions located within the same planes as those wherein said strips are located and projecting above the top of the basket, and a fasten-- ing' device for each corner strip engaging the same and the basket sides adjacent a corner.

3. In a veneer basket, composed of two strips of veneer crossing each other to form a double bottom and having the end portions thereof upwardly bent to form the basket sides, and a top bandto hold the basket in form, the inner of said strips being in part slidable relative to the other strip; means for closing the corners of the basket and for supporting a horizontal divider between layers of baskets in a crate and for preventing slidable movement of said inner strip, comprising corner strips located within the corners of the basket and having upper extensions projecting above the top of the basket, and a fastening device for each corner strip having an angularly bent flat head engaging both branches of a corner strip and angularly bent fiat prongs engaging the approximated edge portions of the basket sides adjacent a corner.

CYRUS I. SHELTON. 

